Gustavs Ērenpreis
| Gustavs Ērenpreis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
5 September 1891 Mazsalaca, Latvia |
| Died | 19 May 1956 (aged 64) West Germany |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Known for | Recipient of the Order of the Three Stars and Cross of Recognition |
Gustavs Ērenpreis (5 September 1891 – 19 May 1956) was a Latvian-born manufacturer of bicycles best known as recipient of the Order of the Three Stars and Cross of Recognition, and as a founder and director of Gustavs Ērenpreis Bicycle Factory, which in the 1930s was the largest manufacturer of bicycles in the Baltic states. Ērenpreis's bicycles were ridden by a generation of elite bicycle racers in Latvia.
Gustavs Ērenpreis was the son of Valtenberģi Manor coachman Lībijs and Anna. He was born in Vatenberģi (today, Mazsalaca city), Latvia which at that time was in the Russian Empire. Ērenpreis was educated at a trade school in Riga.
He was married twice and had one child from the first marriage - a son Jānis, and four children from the second marriage - a son Juris and three daughters - Anita, Maija and Sarmīte.
Gustavs Ērenpreis was decorated with the Order of the Three Stars medal, the highest order of the Republic of Latvia, and the Cross of Recognition of the Republic of Latvia.
After the nationalization of the bicycle USSR, Gustavs emigrated to West Germany where he worked in sawmill. He never returned to his homeland Latvia and died after an illness in Detmold, Germany. He was buried in Augsdorf.
After graduation of trade school in Riga, in 1907 he worked at the Eduards Bērziņš bicycle workshop in Riga, which produced bicycles and repaired and sold English Triumph and Douglas motorcycles in the Baltic states. During World War I he was evacuated with the workshop to Harkov. After the war the workshop equipment could not be recovered, and Gustavs had to return to Riga, Latvia without any equipment.
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